Chapter 9

CHAPTERNINE

Arkon cast a glamor over them as soon as they walked out of the palace. Zahir tutted at him, but Arkon only shrugged.

"If I don’t do it, people always stop me because they want something," Arkon grumbled. "My plate is full of dealing with Gio. He’s being a tyrant."

Zahir shook his head. "My dear boy, I have served tyrants before, and trust me, Gio is not one of them. He wants the war to end; that’s all."

"I am but one man," Arkon argued.

"You are more than that. If you are feeling the pressure, let another magician step up and take over the responsibility of the Wolf Mage. This is a democracy, after all. Retire."

"Absolutely not. She’s mine to deal with. It’s this other magic user that’s impersonating her that I don’t like," Arkon replied.

Zahir led them to a restaurant next to the Ponte dei Dai and was instantly greeted by the owner with a kiss on the cheek and taken to a private area in the back, away from the other patrons.

"You’ve never taken me here before," Arkon said, staring about.

"I thought we would both appreciate the privacy today."

Arkon nibbled on some bread. "Spit it out then. I know you want something."

"Me? I couldn’t just want your company?"

"Flattered, but I know better. You’re bothered about something."

Zahir waited until their wine had been delivered and they both had a glass. "I had an unusual petitioner barge her way onto my ship a few days ago. The little sparrow sung me an interesting tale, and I need to know if she’s working for you."

Arkon frowned. "What’s her name?"

"Ezra Eliyahu. Lives in the Ghetto Nuovo."

"Not a Raven. What song was she singing to get you so worked up?"

Zahir ended up telling Arkon the whole problem without stopping for input. Arkon was one of the few people he trusted to keep it a secret. The sorcerer lived off them and knew better than to divulge any that could put him on Zahir’s bad side. They had ended up as each other’s confessors in a way, and they both needed it.

"Golems. Fuck, that’s all we need," Arkon said when Zahir was done.

"They don’t bother me as much as a girl who has the abilities to bring them to life," Zahir replied.

Arkon rubbed his stubbled chin. "I would have to see her use the power myself. Sigil work is as common as dishwater."

"Sigil work drawn in the air without tools and only an intention. Because that’s what it looked like."

Arkon hummed. "That is the strange part. Sigils are usually drawn out to cement your intention. I burn my spells in order to give them an extra burst of energy to get them to act faster. From what you’re telling me, her magic is instantaneous?"

"Yes, she literally did this—" Zahir wiggled a finger at him. "And Asim and the others were high as kites. She ripped through my wards like they were paper. I’d be insulted if I wasn’t also impressed."

Arkon’s grin was crooked. "Takes a lot to impress you. Is she pretty?"

"Some would think so," Zahir said, not biting at that bait. "I thought we were done with conspiracies for a while. Djinn hating magicians are bad for business, and all they do is piss me off."

"You trust this girl to find them?"

"I know what it’s like to be captured against your will. It motivates you in a way you can’t imagine."

Arkon frowned. "Binding someone like that is a hanging offence on its own. We need to find out if they’ve used it on others. There’s something else I don’t understand."

"What’s that?" Zahir asked, filling his glass.

"The three nights in the deal. What’s up with that? It’s not like you to add that kind of clause."

Zahir shifted, unable to bullshit Arkon. The sorcerer always knew when he was lying. It was incredibly inconvenient. "I don’t really know. Perhaps I wanted to prove that not all djinn are bad?"

"And how are you going to do that exactly? Really, I’m curious because she was clearly raised with at least one prejudiced parent, and I don’t think even you are capable of seducing someone with that kind of mistrust built into her."

"I’m very clever and handsome. I’m sure I’ll figure something out."

Arkon’s mouth twitched. "I thought you said she wasn’t pretty."

"I said some would think she is. She’s interesting. It goes a lot further than pretty," Zahir argued.

"I agree with you there. If she’s as good with magic as you say, maybe I should meet her. Assess the pretty situation for myself," Arkon said, eyes innocent.

"You will stay away from her until I say so. This is a Wands problem to solve."

Arkon raised his hands. "I thought the purpose of telling me this was because you wanted my help."

"I wanted to know if you had a claim on her. You don’t, which means she’s mine."

Arkon bit the inside of his cheek, trying to hold in his laughter. "I’ve never seen you be this ridiculous over someone. You don’t even know her."

"But I want to. That’s a change. I like mysteries, and I haven’t had a decent one in decades."

"You talking about the girl or the golem-making Cabal?"

"Both. No one has been ambitious enough to go up against the djinn."

"Just don’t vaporize them when you find them. If they are a part of the Jewish Quarter, they are Gio’s problem, not yours."

Zahir huffed in frustration. "I haven’t forgotten, sorcerer. I will find out who they are and hand them over."

"And then what? Because Ezra knows how to influence djinn, and if she gets pissed off at you or any of the others, she could cause massive problems."

Zahir smiled. "That’s why I need to win her to our side."

"And if you don’t?"

"Then I will kill her, and that will be that."

Arkon sighed. "You are one scary bastard when you want to be."

"Takes one to know one, sorcerer." They shared a smile. "I won’t do it unless I have to. She’s unique, like Dom’s Stella, and there aren’t too many rare things left in the world anymore."

Arkon looked thoughtful. "Maybe I could get Stella to look into this a little for us."

"I’m sure your newest apprentice and Raven would be up for the challenge, but I don’t know if risking her is a good idea. Domenico will not take it well if anything should happen to her," Zahir warned him. The shedu prince of Venice was overprotective when it came to his lovely mate despite the lightning magic she wielded.

"Very well, but keep her in mind. Women have a way of getting through to other women, and I have a feeling you’re going to need all the help you can get with this one," Arkon replied.

"Oh, please. I have been seducing since before your kind were a twinkle in the Creator’s eye," Zahir huffed in reply. "You will make some inquiries with your contacts about this Cabal of the Wise?"

"Of course I will. Secret societies are never as secret as they think they are. I’ll even do the courtesy of keeping Ezra out of it," Arkon said. Because he couldn’t help being a bastard, he added, "For now, anyway."

"Don’t make threats, habibi. I like you too much to swat you like a bug."

Arkon laughed with evil glee. "Someone has a crush. What’s your plan of attack?"

"There’s no plan. I’m going to get comfortable and wait for her to come to me," Zahir replied.

"I hope you have a good book ready to go. Something tells me you’ll be waiting a while."

Zahir hated it when Arkon was right.